Looking back...

It is exactly a month to the my trip back to Malaysia. I'm really looking forward to see my family back home, and that excitement is mixed with a sense of myself not believing that it's only a month away.

Looking back at the photos from last year's trip, it really reminded me of the great memories I had. That trip was really special to me, not only because I got to see nature in it's rarest, and experience amazing views, but also because I got to spend a lot of my time there with my family.

I don't know it was, but I just had the kick in me to take photos of.. everything. Everything that amazed me, interested me, and it was just so wonderful. The photos featured in the post are ones I took during my stay at Kinabalu National Park, surrounding Mount Kinabalu - sitting at 4,095m - the world's 20th tallest mountain. And it's not just about the mountain, and the photos speak for itself. There is so much to be seen and felt there. So much nature, and so much beauty. I have been to the Kinabalu National Park many times throughout my whole life, and I'm always in awe every single time I'm there. It's really beautiful up there, and a great place to relax.

Cameras before our time

As a kid, I loved playing around with my grandpa's old Zenite. 

So you can imagine how awesome it was for me when I was walking around the city, just minding my own business, and came across this display of antique cameras. It felt kind of special to look at cameras way before my time, and I guess they are still working and may be of interest to camera and photography enthusiasts. Just looking at the display in awe, I can see that the development of the make of cameras have come a long, long way. And it's amazing how each and every one of the cameras have captured someone's memories once upon a time. It just is.

An embarrassing moment

Funny thing happened in Health class today.

We're currently studying hormones and the teacher asked me list out the role of testosterone. Or so I thought. And so, there I was listing out the roles of testosterone. And she then asked me to repeat them. And I listed them out again. It was then she told me that she had actually asked for progesterone, and not testosterone.

And so I laughed it off and apologised.

I think what happened was that I went to sleep at 3am in the morning today due to the overload of work. And I should've known, going to sleep at a later time does funny things to your brain. And to add more to it, my dad asked me to hand him a fork today and I went and took out a pair of scissors, was about to hand it to him before my brain clicked, and realised, "Hey, a fork! Not scissors!"

Oh, in spite of making a total embarrassment out of myself today, it gave me a good laugh. It's just one of those things, isn't it? You don't know when it's going to happen, but when it does, you either laugh it off or wince every living moment over it. Today, I gave myself no choice but to just laugh it off; I wouldn't have it any other way. However, note to self: Try sleeping at an earlier time so your brain doesn't mess up!

When was the last time you did something for the first time?

Looking back at my week, I realised that I did something for the first time. First - that's the keyword. I joined my school magazine team this week. It was the first time I joined something of this sort. I don't know what brought on the madness in me to go for it, but I think it's just one of those things that just naturally pull you in. I love writing and photography with all my heart, and have this crazy dream to be a journalist one day, so I thought, "hey, maybe I should give this a go."

And I just went for it and put my name down. It's been a long time since I did something for the first time, and right now, typing this, it kinda feels good. And in with the goodness is a mix of anticipation and the disbelief that I actually went for it. The thing is, I'm always so comfortable with familiarity that I don't really get out of my comfort zone often. Joining my school magazine team is sort of taking that step out of my comfort zone, and as unsure as I am of what lies ahead, I'm loving the thrill and enjoying every minute at the same time. Writing this, I don't know if that's even possible, but it really is and feels incredibly surreal.

On another note, you're probably wondering, what's the deal with the photo?
Well, I went down to the city on Monday and bought myself a guitar, and am now learning how to play it. And don't let it fool you, playing guitar is actually not as easy as it looks! But it sure is fun. I've always wanted to learn the guitar, and it's now finally happening. As much as I love familiarity, I love learning new things. And now to add to the list, doing things for the first time.

What are these?

I've been finding these on some of my pegs lately while hanging out the laundry, and took this yesterday. I'm not sure what they are, but they sure are fascinating. Perhaps you can shed some light on what they are. So what do you think? And even if you don't know, have a guess anyway! Because, I, for one, have absolutely no clue and would love to hear what you think!